


Cold air. Dark night. Warm fire. Bright stars.

by Rose711



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Boyfriends, Camping, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Love, M/M, Malex Secret Santa 2020, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:29:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28010181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose711/pseuds/Rose711
Summary: The one where Michael and Alex go winter camping at the Cosmic Campground a few weeks before Christmas.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 20
Kudos: 56
Collections: 12 Days Of Malex 2020, Roswell New Mexico ▶ Michael Guerin / Alex Manes





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JoCarthage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoCarthage/gifts).



> My Malex Secret Santa gift for JoCarthage, whose ask was simple: Michael and Alex camping in the winter. 
> 
> JoCarthage, you are an inspiration and I was thrilled to write this for you. Thank you for all you do in this fandom and in the world. 
> 
> I have never really written anything like this and it was an amazing challenge. My original plan was much longer, so a second standalone story will be posted in the coming days.
> 
> Also, the Cosmic Campground is an actual place (I need to go!) and some of the details are accurate; thought I had some leniency with them to make it work for the story.

“How long is the drive again?” Alex asked, trying to make sure his nerves weren’t evident. 

“Just over five hours, so not too bad,” Michael answered with a smile. Alex glanced at him and returned the smile, but spun his eyes back out the truck window.

He and Michael had been back together for a few months now, taking things slowly. That is until Michael asked if he wanted to go away for a long weekend. He knew he shouldn’t be nervous, there had been weeks when they had barely been apart, but there was still the underlying fear that things would be too awkward, too forced, they would suddenly forget how to exist in each other’s space. And if that happened they were five hours from home in the middle of a national forest. 

Alex watched the wintery white scenery buzz past his window, jumping suddenly when Michael turned on the radio and slightly rolled down the windows. He laughed. Michael had always loved driving with the windows down just a bit, music blaring, heat blasting during the winter. And Alex had to admit he loved watching Michael sing at the top of his lungs while his curls bounced in the crisp wind. 

One night at the Wild Pony, a couple months before they got back together but a few after they had both become single, they had been talking about traveling and bucket list places. Most of Alex’s involved long plane rides over oceans, while Michael seemed to be focused on seeing the country he now called home. Then Michael jokingly said they should go camping one weekend, it would fit into Alex’s schedule perfectly. Alex had clammed up, nervous yet excited at what Michael may have been implying. He sheepishly admitted that he was hesitant about camping during the summer in the desert, it reminded him too much of being overseas. Michael had nodded and moved on to raving about one day seeing the Florida Keys. So Alex was surprised, and anxious, when Michael suggested they escape their day-to-day routines, and their friends’ insane amount of holiday cheer, and go winter camping a couple weeks before Christmas.

Alex smiled at Michael again and grabbed his hand. The moment Michael brought his hand to his lips and gently kissed it, all of Alex’s nerves fell away. 

As conversation flowed and they laughed perfectly in sync, Alex realized there was not an ounce of awkwardness. The hours went by quickly, at least they did until they saw the first sign for their destination, the Cosmic Campground.

Michael had been itching to go since he read about it in high school. Alex smiled at the memory and thought back to the night Michael had talked about it for hours after he discovered it existed. It was finally the right time to visit and if Alex was being honest, it meant a lot that Michael wanted to go with him.

From the moment Michael saw the sign he talked excitedly, and nonstop, about the Cosmic Campground, how it was a certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary, one of the darkest places in North America. He animatedly spoke about how it provided a 360-degree, unobstructed view of the night sky because the nearest significant source of artificial light is more than 40 miles away. He told Alex, with a very serious look, how night vision is needed to enjoy the view so they’d have to use red-filtered flashlights and not look at their phones for a half hour before they wanted to look at the stars, “no exceptions.” Alex stared at Michael with reverence as he explained how they’d not only be able to see planets and galaxies but the Earth’s airglow. Michael was one of the most passionate individuals he had ever met and he hoped that he never lost that light.

A fairly long two hours later they arrived at the Cosmic Campground, which, to Alex, didn’t look very cosmic. 

“It may not look like much now but just wait until it gets dark,” Michael assured him as he kissed the back of Alex’s hand and pulled into a designated campsite.

“There probably won’t be many other people here, if any,” Michael remarked, hopping out of the truck and motioning for Alex to follow. “People are wusses, they don’t like the cold. But what they forget is when it’s cold, there’s no mosquitos.” Alex laughed, his hot breath creating little clouds. Michael lowered the tailgate and continued enthusiastically, “there’s a simple bathroom just on the other side of these trees, and there is a water and electricity hookup by the front of the site.”

Alex laid down a tarp and started unpacking the back of the truck. He groaned realizing how long this was going to take and internally wondered if it was worth it for only two nights. But he looked to Michael and saw him staring into the nearly clear blue sky, the biggest smile Alex had ever seen on his face. A sense of peace washed over him as he took in his surroundings. The desert and distant white-capped mountains didn’t look much different than Roswell but that was the key - it wasn’t Roswell. 

He was still unloading when he heard furious stomping. He turned to see Michael packing down the three inches of snow that was on the ground by essentially acting like he was jumping on a bed. Alex stiffened, momentarily wondering if Michael ever had the opportunity as a kid to joyfully jump on a bed. But he was broken from that thought by Michael asking for one of the other tarps and after laying it down, they worked together to quickly set up and stake down the army-green tent. 

“It’s not time for the sleeping bags, yet,” Michael scoffed as Alex went to bring them into the tent. “You think I would let you sleep on the ground?” Michael kissed his rosy cheek and Alex shivered at the touch. “We have this closed-cell foam pad that will go down first and then this inflatable pad; both are able to retain heat pretty well. We’ll zip the sleeping bags together to create one big one and those will go on top of that. Plus blankets obviously.”

Alex stared at Michael astonished. “How did you think to bring all this?”

Michael shrugged, not meeting Alex’s eyes. “Camped a lot when I was younger. Whether I wanted to or not. Read a lot about it. I was able to get some pads like these, and once a foster sister gave me one. The one we used to lay on in the back of my truck? That one.” Michael smiled trying to bring back the happy memory but Alex’s heart was partially broken. 

“It’s funny, neither of us have happy memories of camping, or rather of sleeping outside,” Alex said quietly, walking to Michael and wrapping his arms around his waist.

“This trip is changing those memories,” Michael said confidently, hanging on to Alex for another second. 

They finished setting up the tent and moved the coolers and food containers inside to ensure no animals would get into them at night. Alex noticed one long, under-the-bed type containers he hadn’t gone through yet and when he opened it he could feel that he was grinning like a mad man. In it were some comforts from home: a space heater, he figured Michael must have forgotten he was his personal space heater; a string of colored Christmas lights; and Michael’s acoustic guitar that had once belonged to his brother.

He looked over to see Michael picking up some kindling on the edge of their campsite before placing it in a perfect pile next to the stone firepit. Michael smiled at him, a smile that radiated so much warmth Alex was amazed the snow hadn’t melted, and then looked up to the sky. Light flurries from the snow-covered pine trees surrounded them; it was, simply, idyllic. 

Alex felt drawn to Michael. He meandered over to him, not wanting to break his peace but wanting to be part of it. He gathered him in a side hug and breathed in the combination of rain and fresh snowfall. Michael’s head became heavy against his and Alex fully relaxed.

“So, you brought Christmas lights...” Alex said a minute later, breaking the silence with a grin.

“Isobel dropped them off last week, said I should make the Airstream ‘festive’ this year,” Michael explained with an eye roll. “Wasn’t sure if we would use them but the container was already out and I didn’t know where else to put them, and it’s always good to have extra light.” Alex laughed. Michael may be playing it off as being lazy but Alex knew better.

He walked back to the container and grabbed the strand, motioning for Michael to follow. “Let’s decorate this tree,” Alex hummed. 

“It does look like a Christmas tree,” Michael said quietly about the small pine.

Alex couldn’t remember the last time he decorated a tree. He and his brothers would take an afternoon to do it when he was younger, even up through high school; it was the one guaranteed day of happiness in their house. His unit overseas always did a little something to remind themselves of Christmas at home. Now he had a small tabletop artificial tree that was as low maintenance as you could get - the lights and star were attached and a timer already set to turn on at 7pm and off at 11pm every night.

He and Michael stood on opposite sides of the tree, passing the lights between, their fingers brushing every time. Alex grinned. He couldn’t help but imagine them doing this in their own home next year and his eyesight grew blurry. 

“Alex? You there?” 

Alex shook himself from the thought and went to get the extension cord Michael asked for while he finished the top row. He was about to plug it in when Michael stood at his side and intertwined their fingers. Michael dramatically counted down from three and with an exclamation of ‘let there be light!’ the tree lit up, making the snowflakes falling around it sparkle.

“It’s our first Christmas tree,” Michael said, his expression soft. Without even thinking, Alex forced his lips on Michael in a needy kiss, breaking only when he needed a breath of air. They walked hand in hand to the tree and stared at the multi-colored tree, the lights nearly every color of the rainbow.

They spent the next hour finishing setting up camp, gathering some firewood and building a little fire to throw some heat and dry out the pit and rest of the wood. As the embers dulled Michael suggested they start driving to the observation pads so they could get there before dark and their eyesight could adjust naturally and quickly. Alex laughed as Michael eagerly planned the rest of their evening.

The drive to the pads was only a few minutes long, and Alex breathed a sigh of relief when there were not only empty pads but only one other man at the top of the mountain. He unpacked a few thermal blankets and the cooler with food when the other man approached them. He let them know he was leaving for the night as he had already been there a week, but they could use his telescope that was already set up. Michael just about kissed the man and ran to the other pad, slipping in the slush several times but never slowing. Alex thanked the man and quickly threw everything back in the truck before relocating. 

The sky was turning from blue to pink as the sun neared the horizon; the few wispy clouds scattering and turning the night clear. Alex grabbed his crutch, wanting to make sure he had all the balance possible on the snow and ice in the dark, and made his way to Michael who started geeking out about the telescope.

“Guerin, stop talking for one minute,” Alex said softly with a chuckle. “Listen. Look.” Michael stilled and turned to the sunset, Alex could hear his breath hitch with amazement. It was dead silent and the final colors of the sunset reflected off the brilliant white snow that surrounded them. Alex sighed deeply, hearing small animals scurrying with his heightened sense. He felt Michael’s body press into his and it suddenly felt as if they were fused together. And it brought an incredible sense of calm over Alex. Turning to look at Michael he knew he felt the same.

They stayed like that until the sky was a deep red, deciding to eat before it became too dark to see what they were grabbing. Although they had brought camp chairs up with them, Alex didn’t even think twice about laying a thick blanket on the bare truck bed and climbing up; the truck always felt more comfortable to him even if it actually wasn’t. He watched Michael’s lips break into a smile as he climbed up beside him, handed him a beer and covered them with another two blankets. 

As they ate the sandwiches and chips the 360 degree view of the night sky became spectacular. Alex had never seen anything like it and judging by Michael’s random exclamations and excited breaths he hadn’t either. He tried to find words to express the magnificence but none did it justice. So he just stared at the stars, the galaxies, the planets. For hours. Michael periodically moved from the truck to the telescope, often shouting something in elation but Alex rarely registered what he said. He was utterly lost in the romance of the night sky.

Alex’s leg became too cramped to continue sitting how he was so he finally moved, figuring it was his turn to look through the telescope anyways. 

“Alex!” Michael yelled, clearly annoyed when Alex turned on one of the red filtered flashlights. “Do NOT use the flashlight unless you have to! You’ll ruin our night vision!” 

Alex rolled his eyes at Michael’s dramatics. “I just need to find my crutch, don’t worry, the light is coming nowhere near you.” He grabbed his crutch and carefully made his way to Michael, shutting off the flashlight before he got anywhere close to him. 

In the starlight Alex could see Michael glance at him quickly before turning his head to stare. Alex’s heart fluttered and he looked up, finding a star to make a quick wish. Before he could return his eyes to the earth, he felt Michael grab him around his waist and carefully move him to in front of the telescope, his hands holding on to his hips. He looked through the eyepiece and gasped, pulling back slightly in awe before slowly returning his eye to the lens. 

Alex didn’t know the night sky looked like that, was that incredible. He barely registered Michael resting his chin on his shoulder and wrapping his arms around his waist. It was only when Michael began peppering kisses on his exposed neck that he turned around and swept Michael into a passionate kiss. He kept kissing him until his body shivered, not from the cold but from utter need. But that would have to wait. Too many clothes and too many stars to look at were standing in his way. 

They moved back to the truck bed and tangled their legs together, trying to get as close to the other as possible. Alex rested his head on Michael’s chest, the sound of his heartbeat in his ear more soothing than anything he could have imagined. 

“Tell me a story of the stars,” Alex said quietly, just a hint of sleep in his voice.

“Yeah?” Michael asked with hope. “I was never sure if they bored you or not,” Michael admitted a little nervously.

Alex shifted slightly so he was looking directly into Michael’s eyes. “Never. I love it.”

Alex’s head rose and fell with Michael’s breath and he felt Michael hold it for a moment. He was just about to ask if he was okay when Michael softly began speaking.

“You know this, but I used to really want to go back to my home planet. When I returned to Roswell, I would spend hours reading about the stars and then every night I would go out to Foster’s Ranch. The first star I would see I would make a wish on, wishing that a ship from my home planet would come get me. I would then stare into the sky and look for that ship. After about an hour, every night, I would give up and turn my attention to the stars themselves. I would repeat the story of that star and then make up one for it - who lives on it, what life is like, what families do for fun.” Michael sighed and Alex tightened his arm around his middle. 

“When I met you,” Michael continued, “I thought about it still, but much less. So anytime I looked at the stars from then on, I thought of the stars’ origin stories and their folklore. And being able to share that with you just made me feel… normal I guess. Hopeful. Like for one moment of one day I was able to focus on what I loved and not worry about anything else.”

Alex squeezed Michael and somehow scooted closer, a tear escaping and falling on Michael’s coat. “Every night I would look up at the stars and imagine you were looking at the same ones,” Alex nearly whispered, taking a deep breath to gather his courage. “It started the night I left for basic and quickly became part of my routine. When I was deployed it became easier to see the stars; there were rarely artificial lights on the base camps or in the towns. I would sit in the same place and oftentimes just stare, but sometimes I would find one of the stars or constellations you talked about and your voice would fill my head. Doing that nightly kept me sane, even if it made me question things with us and miss you more.” Alex paused as Michael brought his gloved hand under Alex’s chin and lifted it so his lips could meet Alex’s. 

“I love you, Alex Manes,” Michael said with such sincerity that it made Alex ache for him despite every inch of their bodies touching. 

“I love you too. More than you will ever know,” Alex’s voice breaking on the final word. 

Michael schooched into a seated position pulling Alex into his lap and into a kiss that deepened every second. “Let’s go back to the campsite,” Michael choked out while Alex was nibbling on the side of his neck. Alex chuckled and with one last nip at Michael’s lips, quickly got out of the bed of the truck and threw everything in the back. 

They got back to the campsite in record time, brought the blankets into the tent and put the rest in the cab to keep from getting damp and frozen overnight. They barely zipped the tent before they were tearing each other’s clothes off, pausing only for Alex to remove his prosthesis. 

“I did not realize how cold I was,” Alex said, moving onto Michael’s near naked body and wrapping an extra thick thermal blanket around them. 

“Well, they do say to move around before you go to sleep so your body generates heat and keeps you warm all night,” Michael winked as he removed the last of his clothing and devoured him with a kiss so intense it set Alex’s blood on fire. 

Alex was no longer thinking of the cold.


	2. Chapter 2

Michael woke to the light patter of snowflakes on the tent roof. He looked over to Alex, a peaceful smile visible on his face in the early morning light. Despite never wanting to leave the joined sleeping bags, he removed Alex’s hand from his belly and slinked to the tent door. Turning on the portable heater that they dragged into the tent yesterday, he opened the door and tied the flaps back before returning to the sleeping bags. 

Gently pulling Alex into him he stared out into the wilderness.

“Hi,” Alex whispered sleepily several minutes later, wrapping himself tight around Michael, making his heart melt. 

“Hi.” Michael dragged him impossibly closer and continued to gaze outside. From this angle they could perfectly see the tree they had decorated, glistening with ice and the overnight snowfall. It felt as if they were in a snowglobe. A sense of calm washed over Michael and he instantly fell back asleep. 

When he awoke next it was due to Alex lazily tracing circles across his chest; he wished he could wake up like this every morning. ‘One day,’ he thought. They laid nearly conjoined for another hour until Michael’s stomach rumbled, breaking any sense of tranquility and romance. 

Michael groaned as he left the warm tent to start a fire while Alex gathered the cereal and fruit. He was just finishing building the perfect pyramid with the ideal amount of kindling when he slipped on a patch of ice near the pit, twisting his ankle and landing hard on knee. His screams and profanities immediately brought Alex to his side.

“Let’s get you up,” Alex said, concern clear in his voice. Even with how much pain he was in, Michael could tell Alex went into what he called soldier mode, immediately assessing the surroundings and damage and figuring out a solution. 

Michael pushed against the firepit and held on to Alex’s arm, lifting himself to his feet - and nearly falling over again when he tried to put weight on the leg. He tried to hold back a pained scream but he knew he didn’t do a great job when Alex grabbed for him and practically cooed as if he was a child. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” Michael said exasperated, wiping the snow off his knee. He knew he wasn’t fine but he hated worrying anyone, especially Alex. He had caused him a lifetime of pain and worry already and he didn’t need to keep tacking it on. He looked at Alex and knew he was a miserable liar. But he also hated being wrong, so he stood up again and went to walk. 

“Just let me help,” Alex just about demanded but Michael yanked his arm away. 

“You wanna walk by yourself?” Alex snorted, amusement clear in his voice. “Okay, let’s see that.”

Michael glared at him but took a step. But it was more of a stumble and hop then a step and Michael huffed in annoyance.

“Fine… Alex?” Michael mumbled as his cheeks grew red with embarrassment. Alex raised his eyebrow and grinned. “Can you help me?”

“Of course,” Alex answered sincerely, moving to Michael’s side once again. “Put your arm around my — or just fall on me, that works too.” They hobbled to the camp chairs and Michael plopped down. Alex bent down and started massaging Michael’s ankle. Michael leaned back in the chair and despite hating the feeling that he had to rely on someone, he had to admit it was nice to finally have someone who cared enough to insist. 

After a few minutes, Alex got up to light the fire and bring Michael breakfast. “Have some acetone with your cereal,” Alex smirked, handing Michael a bowl and a bottle of nail polish remover. 

“Where did you get this?” Michael raised his brow at Alex. He had purposefully not brought any acetone.

“I figured I’d bring some just in case,” Alex shrugged. He reached for Alex’s arm and tugged him to him, needing to kiss him before he ate breakfast. 

It was already noon, so they ate quickly, Michael drinking nearly a full bottle of acetone and feeling stronger already. Afterwards, Alex tended to the fire, adding some wood to get the flames to liven up again as Michael tested his ankle by gingerly walking to the truck. 

He had brought the guitar simply because it had become a comfort for him. Or that’s what he told himself. While playing still quieted the noises in his head, music was something that connected Michael and Alex on such a deep level. When they didn’t have the words when they were younger, music was able to communicate everything. It had only felt right that he bring the guitar on this trip. 

“I heard that singing around a fire is a camping tradition,” Michael jested as he handed Alex the guitar. He watched him carefully run his hand over the neck and then the body before settling it on his leg. 

Alex began strumming and Michael leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes and letting the music and warmth from the fire wash over him. Since they had gotten back together, Michael had heard Alex play a few times and each time made Michael feel… he wasn’t quite sure what. Peace perhaps. Pride. Optimism. Or it may just be pure happiness. 

As much as he loved to let Alex’s music just fill him, he opened his eyes and focused them on Alex. Watching Alex play was an experience in and of itself. He lost himself in every song, connecting with each note. He always looked so confident and just so damn joyful. 

Alex looked up and locked eyes with Michael, a smile spreading across his lips. He played for another minute, never breaking eye contact, and Michael felt as if this is the most intimate they had been in months. 

When he finished playing he passed the guitar to Michael. He took it somewhat reluctantly, the urge to play was strong but so was the desire to listen to Alex. He began to strum and gazed at Alex. He had this goofy grin on his face and Michael assumed that that is exactly how he looked when he watched him play. 

They passed the instrument back and forth a few more times, the music filling the campground and echoing amongst the trees. Only a few words were uttered between them until Alex spoke over light plucking. 

“I think I want to write an album.” He didn’t look up, his eyes trained on his fingers brushing the strings. Michael wasn’t even sure he was supposed to hear it. “I’ve kind of already started,” he continued a bit louder. “Just something personal, for me.” He never stopped playing.

Michael was stunned silent. In the best possible way. “I think that’s a great idea,” is the only thing he could get out. Alex stopped playing at that.

“You do?”

“Of course,” Michael reassured him, leaning forward in his chair and moving his head to try to get Alex to meet his eyes. “Music is your first love and you’ve always wanted to pursue it. You shouldn’t have to wait until you’re out of the Air Force to do that.” 

Michael watched Alex smile warily, a look in his eyes that challenged Michael to continue. Since they had gotten back together, they had several very long talks about Alex’s service and the reasons he reenlisted. It almost always ended in an argument. Michael knew, though, that it boiled down to them both feeling guilty and wanting things to just be right, for them both to have the lives they had envisioned for themselves and each other. So Michael had been making it a point to mention the Air Force and Alex’s work more and in neutral tones at least, making sure he knew he was supportive even if he didn’t fully agree.

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Michael continued. “And play it through all the speakers at the junkyard so even the people in the center of town can hear it.” Alex laughed and smiled genuinely.

“Maybe you can play on a song or three with me on it.” 

“Whatever you want, baby, but I would love too,” Michael said softly with more emotion than he was expecting. He cleared his throat trying to get rid of the tears that had come to his eyes.

Alex pushed himself off his chair and closed the distance between them, setting the guitar on a small table they had set up and crowding into Michael’s space. He brought his hands up to cup Michael’s cheeks and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. Micheal shivered at Alex’s cold fingers but leaned into the touch, closing his eyes in contentment. They sprung open though, just for a second, as Alex gently took his lips in his own, softly kissing Michael in a way that made him feel utterly loved.

Michael groaned as Alex broke the kiss and while he would have liked to continue exploring his mouth, just looking at Alex sometimes had the same effect on him. He watched Alex’s lips curl into the most gorgeous grin as a blistering breeze swept through the lock of hair that escaped Alex’s thick wool hat. 

“Are you too cold?” Michael asked when he saw Alex rub his hands together then throw them in his pockets. “We can escape to the tent and turn on the space heater for a little bit…” Michael smirked and the chuckle that escaped Alex made him grateful he said what he did to elicit that reaction. 

“I’m actually not that bad, the good thing about having half a leg missing - less limbs to get cold,” Alex joked as Michael nearly spit out the sip of beer he had just taken. Alex quickly turned serious, though. “Speaking of, how’s your ankle feeling?” 

Michael rolled his ankle a few times and bent his knee. “Fine, actually. And that’s one of the good things about being an alien.”

Alex laughed and moved his camp chair next to Michael’s, Michael very grateful that Alex would be within an arm’s length. Alex must have seen the look on Michael’s face, which he assumed showed all the emotion he was feeling, and dragged his chair so the arms were touching. Alex sat down and immediately threaded his arm through Michael’s, resting his head on his shoulder. Michael’s heart thudded not just at the closeness but at the fact that Alex seemed to feel comfortable in every way around him.

They sat there for a long while, perfectly content to let the heat from the flames envelope them. Michael periodically got up to tend to the fire, but whenever he returned to the chair he and Alex fell back into each other, trading light kisses, affectionate looks and simple stories.

As the sun began to set they let the fire start to die. Michael gathered a few extra blankets for their night stargazing on the observation pad when he noticed that Alex hadn’t moved in several minutes. He watched him stare at the fading embers before walking behind him and wrapping his arms around his shoulders, leaning down to place a kiss on his head. 

“You okay?” Michael asked as Alex leaned back and brought his hands up to grab onto Michael’s forearms.

“Yeah,” Alex said, a hint of wonder in his voice. “The embers are just so beautiful, they just keep going, keep glowing.” He gently shook his head seemingly snapping himself out of a trance. He kissed Michael’s forearms once before getting to his feet and holding on to Michael as he took his first few steps to the truck.

The drive to the observation pad was once again quick, but they cut the lights and cranked the heat for a few extra minutes, watching the sky turn from vibrant reds and oranges to drastic black. 

They were alone on top of the mountain, Michael immediately spotting the telescope from the night before. His heart raced and a broad smile appeared as he thought about examining the stars for the second night. Alex must have noticed he was a bit fidgety as he practically forced him out the truck. 

He played with the different knobs, finding the perfect combination so everything was in focus. He looked up when he heard the truck door shut, watching Alex carefully move around and set up some blankets in the bed, his telekinesis ready should Alex slip in the slush. When Alex grabbed his crutch, Michael returned his eye to the lens, sighing at the beauty he was met with.

He had read many books, and had spent so many nights contemplating the universe of stars that he couldn’t believe he was finally able to see them like this. Leaning his head back he glanced up with his naked eye and a tear fell. 

Michael looked over at Alex. He also couldn’t believe he was able to share this with him. Without thinking, he left the telescope and walked to Alex, climbing into the back of the truck, kissing Alex’s forehead and wrapping himself around him. The stars sparkled and the Earth’s airglow surrounded them like a warm blanket, giving comfort that he didn’t know he needed - or could have. 

They laid huddled together, the sides of the truck blocking the occasional breeze, their eyes only leaving the night sky to steal glances at each other. The silence was overwhelming, but in the best way possible. Other than his nose being a little cold Michael was comfortable in every way. 

“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you,” Michael whispered, his breath coming out in a hot puff against Alex’s ear. Alex snorted and Michael let out a laugh at the cheesy line. 

“Ya know, when I first thought about bringing you here I actually thought about proposing,” Michael said quietly, not quite believing that he said it out loud. He felt Alex still under his arm and heard him draw in a breath. Michael propped himself on his elbow to look him in the eyes and was met with a mix of confusion and excitement. He was beautiful.

“I figured this would be the perfect place, just you and me under a blanket of stars,” Michael continued, his voice light and hopeful. His eyes darted around their surroundings before returning to Alex. “This is how we first really connected. When we were alone out in the desert, under the stars, we were able to be ourselves with each other. And it’s when I knew I was in love with you; it was a random night but I just knew. I always envisioned proposing to you like this.” Alex reached his gloved hand up and cradled Michael’s chin, Michael leaning into the touch and turning his head to place a kiss to Alex’s palm. 

“But we’re not there yet,” Michael said definitively. Alex nodded, his gaze and grin never wavering. 

“One day though,” Alex declared softly. Michael let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and captured Alex’s lips in a searing kiss, pushing his tongue into Alex’s mouth to deepen it. 

They stayed cuddled in the back of the truck, falling asleep gazing up at the stars just like old times. The tent was forgotten until the early morning hours. 


	3. Chapter 3

Alex groaned and buried his head in his pillow, grabbing the blankets closer to him to block out the crisp air. But the sleeping bag wasn’t doing him much good, and with the morning sun illuminating the tent, Alex got up to find Michael. 

Having not bothered with his prosthesis, he slowly maneuvered around the site with his crutches. There was no sign of Michael so he started putting a few things in containers in preparation for the packing they had to do that morning. Before long he heard footsteps crunching on the hardened snow and Michael appeared with his golden curls shimmering in the sunlight and his arms full of twigs. He was breathtaking.

“Good morning,” Michael said sweetly, his breath visible in the cold morning air. He dropped the kindling next to the firepit and scooped Alex into a warm bear hug. Alex breathed in the scent of rain and buried his face in Michael’s neck, tightening his arms around his neck when Michael went to pull away. “I figured we could have one last fire,” Michael whispered and Alex hummed in agreement. “But you need to let go of me if we want to do that.” Alex whimpered as he backed away, dramatically pouting. Michael giggled and kissed the pout right off Alex’s face. 

Michael built the fire while Alex put away some more items. They decided to forgo breakfast at the camp and stop at a diner on the way home. A warm meal, made by someone else, in a warm building was exactly what they both needed. 

They settled into the camp chairs. Alex reached across the arm rests and grabbed Michael’s hand, taking a moment to really look at him. Despite the winter sun, Michael looked softer in the firelight, his curls fluttering from the bursts of heat and his eyes lit up with brightness and possibility.

They watched the flames dance in the wind until it got a little too cold, flattening the remaining logs to let the fire die down. Alex announced the packing plan to Michael, who, to his credit, only smirked once at the amount of details it involved. They seamlessly moved around the campsite gathering and loading things into the truck under Alex’s orders. 

Just as Michael was about to roll up the sleeping pads, Alex pulled him in, claiming his mouth, hungry and intense. Alex let his hands slide under Michael’s clothes onto his stomach as he felt Michael’s hands roam his own body. He began leading them back into the tent when Michael pulled back, Alex left chasing his lips. 

“As much as I want this,” Michael smirked, placing little pecks on Alex’s lips after each word, “let’s wait until we get home, are in your warm house and your hot shower and your warm bed…” 

Alex whined but he had to admit that sounded like heaven, the cold from the weekend seemed to be finally catching up to him. 

They quickly packed up the rest of the items and Alex hopped in the truck. 

“It was really nice to get away from everything,” Michael said blissfully as he stood in the truck doorway glancing up at the clear blue sky, a few stray snowflakes from the nearby trees dropping in his eyelashes. Alex couldn’t contain his smile at Michael’s look of pure happiness. When he climbed in, Alex scooted over on the bench seat kissing Michael tenderly as the truck rumbled to life and a blast of cool air came from the heater before steadily growing warmer. Just like that they were on their way, Alex looking forward to the drive home and the few remaining hours of uninterrupted time he would have with Michael. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and Happy Holidays!
> 
> My tumblr! [ theviewofmylife ](https://theviewofmylife.tumblr.com/)


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